NetBSD/vax is the port of NetBSD to DEC VAX computers. The first model was announced in 1977 and they were sold until September 30, 2000! NetBSD/vax was the first free OS that ran on the VAX series of computers, and by far runs on the largest number of models.

NetBSD/vax is the port of NetBSD to DEC VAX computers.

The first model was announced in 1977 and they were sold

Development activity on NetBSD/vax continues at a speed depending of people's spare time. NetBSD runs on most of the common desktop systems and also on some of the more unusual older systems such as the large-scale 11/780 and 8600.

until September 30, 2000! NetBSD/vax was the first free OS that ran on

the VAX series of computers, and by far runs on the largest number of models.

of people's spare time. NetBSD runs on most of the common desktop systems

The first binary and source snapshot of NetBSD/vax was made available to the public on August 4, 1994. It supported only the VAX 11/750 system, and only MSCP disks and DEUNA ethernet. Soon after that ports to other VAX systems begun to show up.

and also on some of the more unusual older systems such as the large-scale

11/780 and 8600.

The first MicroVAX support was written by Rick Macklem in January 1995, and soon thereafter other MicroVAX systems also was supported. In mid-1996, Bertram Barth wrote the first VAXstation support.

In August 1998, the first VMS-only vax was supported; the VAXstation 4000 model 60.

Dennis Ritchie has some pages containing a historical perspective on the [original VAX architecture](http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/cs/who/dmr/vax.html).

###Developers and Development Funding

As with the rest of NetBSD, development on vax issues involves a world-wide [team of people](http://www.netbsd.org/people/) using internet-based source code control systems, as well as contributors who have sent us code to better support particular platforms and devices. In some cases, contributors are listed with their area of contribution on the system models page. Please send us mail if you or someone you know should also be listed here.

The port started in February 1994 when members of [Ludd, the computer society at Lule University (Lule Tekniska Universitet)](http://www.ludd.luth.se/) in Sweden wanted to run another

operating system than ULTRIX on the VAX machines that did not support 4.3BSD.

For porting purpose, two old VAX 11/750 were started and was used as the